A Prayer for Exiled
by Blue Mistfall
Summary: The Third Doctor misses his flying among the stars. But one night, he gets some reassuring news... from a very unexpected source.


UNIT was a secret organisation. Therefore, everything inside it, from mechanisms to people, should have been the best ever - at least Brigadier Lethbridge-Stuart thought so. He was keen on keeping things in order, and mostly he was satisfied, but there was one small exception. Or maybe not an exception, but a little compensation. It wasn't a skeleton in the cupboard, it was quite harmless and most of the time extremely useful, but, but, but...

* * *

If any nightwalker or bad seed decided to ignore the sign "High security" and enter this yard in the middle of the night, he or she would be surprised. Why would United Nations Intelligence Taskforce need a police box? They had been gone for years, but there was still one here, large, blue and inappropriate. But there was even stranger matter - there was an alive soul here, at the time when everybody was asleep. It was a tall man sitting on the grass and leaning on the blue box. It was impossible to guess how old he was, partly because of his features (which could easily belong to a young or an old man), and partly because it was a totally confusing matter about him. In other words, his actual age was times and times more than the "appearance" one. But age was one thing and features were different, that was about him. And again it was about secrecy - the man's name was unknown to anyone, he was just called "The Doctor".

The man was staring at the sky like charmed, muttering something to himself. Some odd words like "Dandra", "Axon", "Thals" and else. Complete nonsense - for the ones who didn't know that those were not just random letter combinations. And anyone could have thought that he was heart-broken - such bitterness was in his look. Now he could afford it.

"Honk".

The sound of a car klaxon broke the silence of the night. You could hardly find a car with such kind of signal, so it had to be the one about which the man thought immediately.

"Honk, honk".

The Doctor instinctively put his hand into the pocket of his dark blue velvet jacket. Yes, he was dressed in a fancy fashion - even now, when all alone, he was wearing a frilly white shirt and a huge floppy bowtie. Actually he looked like a magician, only a top hat was lacking. And now this impression was going to deepen, because he pulled a large device out of his pocket (which wasn't even puffed up when holding it) and pressed the central button on it.

After some time a child's terrified squeak followed, accompanied by roaring of engine and the sound of wheels trampling small stones and grass down. In no time a yellow vintage car half-rammed the bush nearby and stopped in front of the man. Yeah, this car was at least seventy years old, and it was still great, at least for its owner.

The Doctor glanced inside and was surprised. There was seemingly no one in... or was there? A little boy, not older than three, was curled up in a ball on the back seat, peeking at him with one eye from under his arm.

"Don't be afraid of me", the Doctor said. The child slowly moved his arms away from his face, now his expression more of wonder than of fear.

"I no 'fwaid", he replied.

"What are you doing in my car anyway?"

"Lost", the boy replied, his voice very small.

"All right then. Who put you into my car? Was there anyone with you?"

"Bwought me away", the boy replied, struggling not to weep. "Big bad alien".

"Alien? How do you know that was an alien?" That was at least strange. Of course, children had fantasies and their own worlds were much brighter than those of grown-ups, but they usually had unicorns or other sweet little things populate these worlds. And this boy's expression was surprisingly serious, apart from the genuine fear he was trying to hide. "What alien?"

"Dunno", the boy whispered. "All bubbly and stinky and gurgly. Ew... Dey took Dotta-daddy and Ta-dees! An' dey said he no need me!"

"Whom did they take?!"

"My Dotta-daddy. He the best daddy ever!"

The man reached his hand out and after a moment's hesitation the boy took it, sitting up.

"Who's that daddy of yours?"

"He cares 'bout me", the boy went on, his cheeks flushing - the obvious sign of delight. "We fly, we play, we wun, an' he tells me stories, an'..."

"I see he's a good daddy for you", the Doctor said, feeling uneasy, because he had a particularly nasty (or no, just unusual for him) creep upon these words. But it was not about the boy. It was about... responsibility. TARDIS wasn't the safest place for children. "And does he come to help when it's trouble?"

"Yes", the child replied with such complete and utter trust that something trembled inside the Doctor's hearts. "Awways".

"Anyway, what were you doing in my car?"

"Twied to find someone", the boy admitted. "Honk honk honk". His eyes narrowed. "Wait, I know... Free!"

"What do you mean - free?"

"No-no. One! Two! Free! You Dotta Free! I know, you Dotta Free!"

"Ah! You mean Three!.. Wait, did you know that I was going to be here?"

"No. I saw dat car, and..."

"And couldn't resist honking. Kids!.. Huh?"

Vshvwooooorp. Vsssshhhhvwoooorp. Thunk.

The Doctor's eyes widened, and he rushed back to TARDIS - that very blue box, a wild hope emerging inside him. But no. The blue box was still as stiff and motionless as before. The latest trials to trick the fact that the important detail was missing had ended up with one more small explosion (its size hadn't made it nastier). Therefore, it could be the Master's TARDIS... or it couldn't, because the little one beamed, his blue eyes sparkling:

"Dotta-daddy came! He came! Yesyesyes!"

He attempted to climb over the car's doors, but the Doctor grabbed his chubby middle and safely transported him onto the ground - despite his lack of experience in working with children, he knew they shouldn't be let climb on things and fall from them. But he didn't let the boy go until he was sure that it wasn't Master's TARDIS - a bit farther, behind the trees, there was a flashing light. Just like the one on his own seemingly-forever-stuck (in both senses) time machine.  
"Lemme go, Dotta Free!" the child squeaked. "Pweese!"

"I won't let you go until I'm sure you get to where you wish safely, and I'm not used to praying, I'm used to acting!"

But the stubborn little boy squeezed out of his grasp and ran directly to the place where there had been the flashing light. The Doctor followed him, but something - intuition or what they call it? - told him that he had better stayed on the place. All right, no seeing, but hearing. It's fine. People do live without their sight.

"Dotta-daddy! Dotta-daddy!"

"JJ, I'm so glad that you're all right! Come on, let's get away from here until we create a paradox! Quicker!"

The doors closed with a thunk, a rush of wind blew again, accompanied by "vshvworping" and flashing light again. That second voice was young. Deep, but young. And the TARDIS... She will be stuck in groove, but some day it will fly again, the Doctor thought, returning to his "stargazing" place. At least now he knew that some day he won't be here anymore. The place wasn't the worst in the Universe, it was just so... not too willing to change. And changes were necessary, especially when you are almost five hundred years old.

* * *

"Why you hurry?" Johnny-Jimmy asked, watching his guardian insanely pressing buttons, pulling levers, even kicking and elbowing something till his face was glittering with sweat, cheeks burning and veins pulsing on his temples. Only after some minutes the Eleventh Doctor fell into the seat and sighed.

"Come here, JJ", he muttered, patting on the seat next to him, and the boy obeyed. "Do you know that not all inhabitants of the Universe know that I... Am I a good man, JJ?"

"De best in de world!" Johnny-Jimmy responded eagerly.

"Why do you think so?"

"You kind, you no want bad tings to happen, you help..."

"Ah, kiddo... But someone's afraid of me. And there's no one totally bad or totally good in the world... except some buzzing garbage bins", the Doctor added in half-voice. "Jetrians wanted to save you".

"Fwom whom?"

"Me".

"But I no want go fwom you!"

"Tell them... And they transported you to the place and time where there was another me. I shouldn't enter my time stream... and I didn't. Almost. Did Third me see me?"

"No know", Johnny-Jimmy replied. "He heard Ta-dees, he saw light... but no you".

"Thank goodness. We needed to get away from there as soon as possible not to tease Third me because his exile could have driven him mad... and he could have rushed after us. Disaster, do you imagine? My own story being rewritten! And, including how many deeds I've performed... they could have never happened!" the Doctor exhaled and leaned back, his eyes closed.

Johnny-Jimmy snuggled to him, now almost completely glad that he and his guardian were safe. But his childish mind wanted to know one more thing.

"Dotta-daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Whatssa pwaying?"

"What? Playing?"

"No, pwraying!" Johnny-Jimmy's tongue couldn't cope with stubborn "r" sound, so this was the best version.

"Ah, praying? Well... it's complicated. For someone it's asking idols for favour, for someone it's the weapon against their own evil... and for me it's hope. I hope that everything is going to come out the best way, and mistakes can be corrected".

It wasn't too clear to the boy, but now he at least could imagine what that odd word meant and nothing prevented him from drifting off by the Doctor's side. And not for a long time - after about half an hour his consciousness became clearer, though still foggy, and he heard the voice over him whispering:

"Let everything be fine. Let everything be fine for every single one of them. For Susan, for Barbara and Ian, for Vicki, Steven and Dodo, for Ben and Polly..."

Was that... "praying"?

"...for Jamie, Victoria and Zoe..."

Johnny-Jimmy knew some of these names. Doctor had told him stories about their owners.

"...for Liz, Jo, Sarah Jane, Harry, Leela..."

Sometimes the Doctor said that he had spoilt everything for some people. No, he couldn't have done this.

"...for Romana, Tegan, Nyssa, Turlough, Peri..."

Something was wrong among these names.

"...for Mel, Ace..."

Some of them were missing.

"...for Grace, Rose, Jack..."

Two or three, but they were missing.

"...for Mickey, Martha, Donna, Wilf, River... for all of them, for always and always and always. Let it all be fine for them, please".

"Dotta-daddy?"

"Hmm?" the Doctor replied without opening his eyes.

"You not named some of 'em. Katawina, Bwig, Adwric, Amy, Rowry. Why? You told me stowies 'bout 'em, but you no named 'em".

"They're gone from this world, my boy". Johnny-Jimmy had never seen his foster father so sad - almost ready to weep. Usually the Doctor was smiling even when it was dangerous. "There are ways to bring them back, because it's another adventure for a well-organized mind, but they are very complex. It's a completely different world, but it exists".

"Why can't we go there?"

"We always can. You know where it is? Those five, and not only them, went right here". The Doctor knocked himself on the forehead and then poked Johnny-Jimmy's. "And as long as I, or you, or anyone else remembers them, they will stay. But we are here, and we are alive".

"Why you no ask fine for other you? Dotta Free can meet others Dottas, and it no good", seriously said the boy.

"Then you do it. I don't want to be selfish".

Johnny-Jimmy imagined that strange Doctor he had seen tonight - so alone, so sad, thought hardly anyone ever saw that - and whispered:

"Let it aww be fine for Dotta Free and aww other Dottas. No want him be alone. Pweese, let aww be fine fowever".


End file.
